The Hardest Thing
by mysteryteenagelover
Summary: Alex is finally happy with Addison, but the past stirs up his unwanted feelings for a certain brunette. Not for Addex fans. Slightly cliche but worth reading anyway. May have to raise rating for later chapters. Please R and R, that would be great. Cheers.
1. Chapter 1

'Hey, honey,' Addison leaned over to kiss Alex as he put an armful of paperwork down on the bench. He kissed her back.  
'Hey!' When did you finish at the hospital? I wasn't expecting you till later.'  
'Bailey sent me home a couple of hours ago. She threw a tantrum because of Christina. Something about telling her to finish the paperwork after this guy swallowed a handful of marbles, but then she found her scrubbed in, with Derek, elbow deep in a girl's intestines. And then…well, yeah.'  
'Sounds like you had it good. My guy coded, literally just filled out his discharge when…crash. Scrub nurses everywhere, wife flapping around … nightmare. You cooked?' Alex leant over the bench of the inbuilt kitchen Addison conveniently had in her hotel room. The two of them had been living there for over a month, and Alex was worrying that the expense was beginning to take its toll on Addison's savings. But she just distracted him whenever he brought it up, and she was good at that. God, she was good at that. Alex had never met anyone that was quite as good as she was.   
'Dinner!' she said, just as Alex was pulling off his scrubs, the top of which was drenched. Addison wrinkled up her nose.  
'What, exactly, is that?'  
'It's marble-guy's vomit.'  
'OK…take the top off. But then come and eat.' Alex threw the top into a distant corner, the most distant one he could find. He went to reach for the singlet he had thrown over a chair that morning. Addison waved her hand.

'No, just leave it.' Alex sat at the table, opposite her, bare-chested, and attacked the meal. It was incredibly good.  
'I didn't know you could cook.'  
'There's a…lot you don't…know…about…me…' Addison murmured, glancing up. She was busy eyeing Alex's uncovered abs.  
'Hey, no fair! How come you get to stare at me?'

'Because you're the one not wearing a shirt.'

'Well, then,' Alex slipped around the table, behind her chair, and then sidled up behind her and slid has hands onto her waist, whispering in her ear. She sighed, but lifted her arms obligingly and let him slide her shirt off over her head. She let her arms fall back to the table, and he tossed her shirt over the counter, going back to his chair.  
'Better,' he said, sitting down and picking up his fork again. The next mouthful of pasta missed his mouth. He was too busy staring.  
'Hey!' Addison called across the table, snapping her fingers in front of his face.  
'S-sorry,' he whispered. He couldn't help it. Her pale skin gleamed beneath white lace, and try as he might Alex couldn't bring himself to drag his eyes away. Her red hair cascaded over one shoulder.  
'Alright. Stop it, stop it now!'  
Alex didn't see why he should. For almost the first time in his life, he was happy. He had been going steady with Addison for a couple of months now, and he couldn't even remember the last time he had been going that long with a girl. The two of them just seemed to connect so well. All the days and weeks of nearly kissing in consult rooms, and the hurried (but awesome ) sex in the on-call room, and then hurried kisses in the bar – he was quite frankly fed up with it. Now he was practically living with her, in a hotel, no less – and he deserved the right to stare at her if he wanted to.   
Finishing his pasta, he watched her get up, walk towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. He slid his hands onto her stomach, stroking her skin. She kissed his neck, and then lifted her head to put her mouth near his ear.  
'I love you,' she whispered. Alex didn't know what to say. He was into her, that was for sure, he loved being with her, but did he love her? He remembered what another guy in high school had once said to him.

'Chicks give sex to get love, guys give love to get sex.' Immortal words of wisdom.  
He didn't want to be that guy. The sex was amazing…nobody was denying that, but he wanted to wait and tell her when he really meant it. So he took another way out, just pulling her even closer and pressing his lips to hers in a kiss, hoping that that would distract her long enough for him to figure out what he was going to do. It worked, but it didn't stop him feeling guilty when Addison pulled away and smiled at him.  
Later that evening, he sat, alone in the living room, trying to puzzle through what Addison had said to him and what he was going to do. Why couldn't he just say it? Unbidden, an image of a certain brunette he had been actively trying to keep from his mind popped into it. Damnit! He threw Addison's shirt across the room in frustration. And now he thought of the name, it just wouldn't go away.  
'Medically, there's no reason for me to stay…'

'Yeah, I'm scared…please…'

'Did you sniff too much glue – as a child?'

'I'm asking you something…Alex…'

'I think you should stay with the decent guy…' Those had been his words.

'I need a reason to stay. A reason from you…'  
It was that part particularly that he just couldn't forget about. A reason from you…from you…  
From him.  
She had wanted a reason from him.  
He shook his head, trying to clear it. He was with Addison. She was great, and beautiful and funny, and totally into him. Why couldn't he just leave things be? Why, why, _why_ did it all have to be so damn complicated? He decided that he just wasn't going to let it… be complicated, that was. Silently opening the door, he crept over to the bed, gently pulled back the covers and climbed under, slipping a hand over Addison's waist, sliding his fingers into her warm, smooth hands. He just wasn't going to let it be complicated. He was going to make it simple.  
A reason to stay…A reason from you…  
Alex squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to listen, trying to shut out his own thoughts. He hugged Addison a bit tighter, and leant over.  
'I love you,' he whispered tentatively, but Addison had already fallen asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

'Morning,' Alex leant over and kissed Addison.

'So, last night … did you actually … I mean, did you really say it?' Alex smiled at her, the smile that he knew made her go weak at the knees. Good thing she was already lying down. He rolled on top of her, feeling her hands slide through his hair.

'I did,' he smiled, leaning down and capturing her lips, 'I love you.' She smiled, a wide, sincere smile, and then rolled out from under him, snatching up her pager.

'Work,' she muttered distractedly. Alex smiled as she added, 'I need a reason not to go.' The words set in motion a series of thoughts he wished weren't there.

'_I need a reason to stay … '_ Damnit! Why couldn't it leave him alone? He had made his choice, and he didn't need to be haunted by disembodied voices for it. He nodded once, and began to dress himself. Hadn't he made the right choice? Letting her go, get on with her life with the decent man that loved her. It was the right choice to make. Wasn't it? Was it?

'Argh!' Alex turned around and punched the wall, grazing his knuckles. If he was so sure, why couldn't it leave him alone? If he had really made the right choice, then why was he being constantly haunted by her voice, thinking about her eyes, her hands, her face. Looking up at him from the hospital bed, helpless … broken … beautiful. Just as he had told Jeff the day she left. Crashing into the bathroom, he wrenched on the tap and gasped as icy cold water doused his face. Blinking, he reached for a towel, but found it hanging over the shower, where Addison was hidden behind a wall of steam. The was a clanging noise, and then she reached out one long, slender hand, grabbing him by the waist of his scrubs, and dragged him into the shower with her.

* * *

'Where you been?' Bailey screeched at him two hours later.

'Got held up, sorry,' he invented on the spot, and then found himself doing sutras in the pit for the next twelve hours as his punishment. Finally, at ten o'clock, he made his way down to the bench where he had studied to retake his test. He smiled at the memories – Christina making him feel her breast, Izzie helping him even though he had acted like the world's biggest ass, Meredith exhibiting symptom after symptom for him. He found the three of them plus George curled up in various positions.

'Can you even believe Burke sent _Mama_ to come say goodbye to me? I mean, seriously.'

'Seriously.' Meredith nodded agreeing.

'And McDreamy?' asked Christina, inquisitive.

'Broken up,' Meredith nodded matter-of-factly, 'With sex,' she added.

'Nice.'

'And Callie?' Meredith asked George, looking over her shoulder.

'So pissed off I'm afraid she's going to kill me,' George answered, resignedly.

'Addison?' Izzie asked him.

'Great,' he answered her. It was ninety-eight per cent true anyway. Except for –

'What about Jane Doe, or Ava?' Izzie wondered.

'Or Rebecca?' added Christina. And then there was that.

'Dunno,' Alex faked indifference, 'Probably back with her husband. Who cares?'

'You do.' It was Izzie. She spoke quietly, but there was a conviction in her voice that frightened Alex. How did she know?

'Do not,' he retorted curtly. Izzie said no more, but rested her blonde head in George's lap, who absently stroked her hair as she lay there.

'Well, we're all a mess,' commented George, finally, and Alex took his eyes away from Izzie.

'Yep.'

'Except Alex, apparently,' Izzie commented, not looking at him.

_Beep_.

'Shit!' All five of them jumped as their pagers went off simultaneously.

'Bailey page you all?'

'Yep.'

'She's already pissed off with me,' Alex commented, 'Better run.'

* * *

'Ok, interns – '

'We're not interns anymore. We are residents,' announced Christina. Meredith punched her. Bailey was clearly in a hurry, and was shooting murderous weapons at Christina from her eyeballs.

'We got a situation here. Pit's overflowing with bus-crash victims, and the clinic just got a new tide of patients from this horrible flu. Damn Seattle weather. I need Yang and Karev in the clinic. If it's not urgent – _send them away_. Stevens, Grey, O'Malley – you're with me. _Move_!_' _

Alex sprinted with Christina to the clinic. Bailey had been right, waves upon waves of people were milling around, coughing and sneezing, crying and yelling.

'Right!' Christina picked up the clipboard, and was joined by at least ten nurses.

'Elliot Smith!' A man came forward holding the arm of a small child. Alex snatched up the other list.

'Georgina Fraser?' A bedraggled teenager limped forward, on the arm of a boy who looked scared out of his mind. For three hours, the patients kept coming forward.

'Pope?' yelled Christina, at about one in the morning.

'Ouch!' gasped the small boy whose arm he was currently stitching, as he jerked his head at the sound of the familiar name, his breathing immediately speeding up.

'Sorry,' he muttered, trying off the thread and handing the boy back to his anxious mother, along with the ointment that he told her to apply twice a day. He had a hard time shaking off the nervous mother after she threw her arms around him in thanks. Once he had got rid of her, he sprinted over to the nurse's station and handed the Olivia the clipboard, asking her to take care of it for him … well, _begging_ her.

'Christina?' Alex shouted, ignoring the looks and winces of the patients that were waiting.

'What?' came her voice from behind curtain three. He strode over and wrenched back the curtain, arm falling to his side and stopping short when he saw.


	3. Chapter 3

'Alex, I think you should – ' Alex stepped in front of Christina, and turned to face her.

'Christina. I know you're all scary and damaged and dark and in the dark and twisty club with Meredith, and usually I would be afraid of you and run the opposite direction as fast as I could, and I'm still scared of you? OK? You're creepiness has not been compromised. And I know you think I'm an ass, but with whatever integrity you have left in you, you will feel sorry for me and step out of my way right now.'

Christina was too surprised that Alex could even string that many words together to do anything but meekly step out of the way, and close the curtain on the two of them.

'Alex!' Rebecca gasped, a tiny baby clutched in her arms. She went to stand up. But Alex firmly put a hand on her shoulder and gently forced her back down.

'What – are you doing?'

At that moment, the curtain was swept aside and Alex spun on the spot, to reveal Addison, with Christina visibly trying to restrain her by the arm. As the curtain swept across, she let go and sidled out of the way, throwing Alex an '_I tried_' expression.

Addison didn't even look at his patient.

'Honey, I'm on call tonight, so do you mind waiting until six?'

'Sure,' muttered Alex. Addison nodded once, and turned to smile down at his patient, recognition flashing across her face.

'Ja – Av – Rebecca. How's your baby doing?'

'Not so good, actually. That's why I'm here, but Al – Dr Karev has got in well under control, right, doctor?' She looked at him pleadingly.

'Right. It's fine. See you at six, then,' Alex offered, leaning forward to kiss her cheeks. Addison smiled and let him, and the swept the curtain back across. What Alex didn't catch was the dark worry that washed over her face as soon as her back was turned.

'What – can I do for your baby, then?' Alex asked, turning back to her.

'That's it? Seriously?'

'What?'

'You ditch me, go to the wedding, hook up with red, and then don't even ask me how I am?' Alex looked down, watching the hands that twisted underneath a bundle of blankets. He knew them so well. He could still see the small white curvy scar that twined around her index finger. He had stitched that himself. Next to it, he noticed a gold wedding band. That hurt him, although he didn't see why it should. He was with Addison, and she was with Jeff – happily married. They were just friends now. That was it.

Instead, Alex said, 'I did come back for you. I ran – through the hospital, into the room. It was empty. I went to the carpark. You were gone. I checked your discharge papers. I missed you by twenty minutes. Twenty – ' His voice cracked. Ava put a hand to his hand, which rested on the blankets.

'Olivia?' The nurse appeared in the gap in the curtain. 'Take – the baby down to PDs, with the chart – ' He mentally thanked Christina for doing the chart before he had assaulted her. Ava or Rebecca handed the baby over, and then Alex sat on the bed next to her, holding her hand.

'So – so you and red?' she managed.

'Rebecca – '

'Ava.'

'Ava – I – I thought you were gone. To your husband. I thought … '

'I am gone to my husband, you don't need to explain. It's none of my business – I just wondered. Since I lay in a bed for over six months opposite the nurses' station listening to how hot you were for each other. I didn't want to miss the updates of the Seattle Grace show …' They both managed to laugh, and Ava tilted her head to one side, looking into his eyes.

Before he quite knew what he was doing, Alex had her lips between his, had his hands on her waist, and then her hips, and then her hair. She was pressing into his chest with her small hands, tongue tracing his lips, running hands through his hair, nudging his leg with hers. Hands roaming, touching, stroking. Lips touching.

Remembering. Alex recalled how he had pulled her out from under the pylon, had though she was dead. Had kept her baby alive during brain surgery. Had delivered that baby a week later, holding it, wrapping it. Had stroked her hair down, taken the photos. Told her to stay with the decent guy.

Ava remembered how she had heard him tell Jeff she was beautiful, how he had held her baby girl and looked at her as if she was his own, how he had laughed as the flash had gone on her camera. How he had held her hand and helped her chose a face. How he had named her Ava.

His hand came to rest on her breast, and she tore her mouth away.

'I'm married – I'm …'

'Stop saying that like it means something.' He regretted saying exactly what he thought the second the words left his mouth. But Ava started kissing him again, hands all over his chest.

But her words got to Alex too. Just this morning he had held Addison and told her he loved her. Was it possible to love two people at once? Or was there two different types of love? On one hand, someone you had a lot in common with, someone with whom the sex was great and there was always plenty to talk about. On the other hand, someone who knew what you were thinking and you knew about them, you knew more about the other then you did about yourself, who you just seemed to connect with, and couldn't stand not to be around.

What would he do? Was there anything to do? Alex had no idea.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this one is so short as well! I think this will be the second-last chapter, I hope you've enjoyed the story. I promise that the last chapter will be longer and REALLY GOOD. MTL, xx**

"What in the hell do you think you are doing?" 

The voice of the Chief startled Alex Karev out of his blissful state and made him stare guiltily up at the irate faces of Bailey and Chief Webber.

Ava gasped, and then looked immediately embarrassed as Alex removed his hands from her breasts and put them in his pockets.

"You – Chief's office – NOW!" Bailey was _not_ in a mood to be messed with to start the day, and catching Alex Karev entangled in an ex-patient's arms had just about made any mellowness she may have had non-existent.

She wrenched the curtain shut behind him, and Alex distantly heard the Chief yelling for a resident to tend to Ava's baby. Alex just felt a kind of numbness as he trailed along behind Bailey, certain he was going to be kicked out of the program, he would never see Ava again – before his eyes his life was spiralling downwards.

---

"I can't even … I don't …" 

For the first time in his life, Alex witnessed a Bailey that was lost for words. 

"A _patient_ Alex! An _ex-patient_! How could you throw away _your_ career over a few seconds of _foolish … stupid …_ stupid! Kissing … in the _hospital … _NOT worth your career! Do you even know what you've done?"

At that point, the Chief slammed the door behind him, and Alex resigned himself to a long-winded lecture.

"Do not _even_ tell me I have another Denny Duquette situation on my hands…"

---

"What happened?"

"Did they kick you out?"

"It was _Ava_!"

"They can't kick you out!"

"Who cares?"

The last quip was from Christina, and the rest of the residents gathered around him, wanting to know details and his punishment, when all he wanted to do was sleep, and not think about any of it. He did notice, however, the Izzie hadn't said anything. Not 'I told you so', no concern, no indifference, nothing about Denny, or experience. She just stood quietly behind George, twisting her hands together, looking down.

When he got home however, there was another bombshell waiting to explode.

---

"_Suspended _from the programme for consorting with a patient! How could you do it, Alex? How could you do that to your career, to your life?"

"Addison…"

"How could you do that to me?" she finished quietly. Alex looked down, almost in awe of the fact that one minute could ruin his (a) career, (b) love life, and (c) life in general. Because Ava was still at the hospital. She was staying until her baby was better. Alex was suspended from the programme, with expulsion still a viable option. 

"Leave, Alex. I mean it – JUST LEAVE!" her voice rose, in something like disappointment, and Alex threw most of his belongings together, and left.

At Meredith's house later, he was glad that the rest of the interns were still there for him. And as he tossed and turned on the floor of George's bedroom, he wondered exactly when his life was going to get any better. 

---

While Alex slept fitfully on the floor, Izzie was tossing and turning next door. She had to do something, she couldn't let the weirdness stand between them forever…

"Chief? Can I talk to you?"

"I'm a busy man, Stevens."

"Right. Well, I'll be fast. It's … it's about Alex Karev, sir."

"There's nothing I can do for Alex Karev. He broke the policy, the protocol … there's nothing –"

"With all due respect, Chief, I don't believe you. Remember Denny Duquette?" She soldiered on, even though the Chief was shaking his head and moaning.

"It was the same, and here I am. I didn't get kicked out. I did the probation, and the peer counselling, and everything you ever asked me to do. Just … give him the same chance. He's … he could do it, sir. He's a good doctor. That's – that's all I have to say, sir."

"Get out of my office, Stevens."

"Yes, sir."

---

"Alex, what are you doing here?" Meredith was watching him throw item after item over his shoulder with a growing expression of alarm.

"I'm cleaning out my locker."

"Why?" chorused Christina, George and Meredith. Izzie said nothing.

" 'S just a matter of time before they kick me out," he muttered. "May as well beat them to it," he added, tossing his second pair of scrubs out onto the floor.

"No," Izzie spoke to him directly for the first time since she had told him she didn't believe he didn't care about Ava. "Nobody's kicking you out, so just stop it, Alex. Enough. You're staying in this program." And with that she strode out the door.

"Rounds, people," announced Bailey, crashing through the door.

"Yang, pit, Grey, ICU, Karev, PDs, Stevens, scut – where's Stevens, Yang?"

"I – ah – don't know, Dr Bailey."

"You don't kn – what is it, Karev? Wait, the rest of you leave. Grey, find Stevens. Tell her to get her ass down to scut. Spit it out, Karev."

"I shouldn't have an assignment. I'm leaving."

"Why?" 

That got Alex Karev well and truly stuttering for words.

"With the – thing – with, and they said – suspended – I was just leaving."

"No, you're not. You haven't been kicked out yet, and you're not suspended until you speak with the Chief again, and that's not till four pm. Right now, it is five thirty am. Now go. PDs!"

"But –"

"GO!"

---

Karev looked at his list. One patient to go, and then he could sit down, he could get some _coffee_…

"Hey." He spun around. The occupant of his last room was smiling at him.

"Why are you in PDs?"

"How could you forget? You delivered her."

"Right … the … baby. Yeah." He sat down next to her.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, I think I'm going to get kicked out of the programme anyway, so I can do whatever I want." He leant in to kiss her, and their lips touched, the fingers of her left hand intertwined with his. But then she put her other hand on his chest and gently pushed him away so that he could look into her eyes.

"But … what about red?"

"She dumped me, OK? And besides, what about Jeff?"

"I left him."

"Again?"

"Yeah. You can't stay with someone … when you're in love with someone else." She looked into his eyes.

"No…" he managed, "So – what did you call the baby?"

"Well, I thought … Alexandra, but then I thought, it'd get shortened to Alex, and one of those is quite enough, so I named it after that cute blonde surgeon you were friends with."

"You called the baby 'Izzie'?"

Alex looked down, the irony of the situation not lost on him. Ava also looked amused. He leant forward again, but before he could kiss her properly, the PA system interrupted them.

"Dr Karev to Chief Webber's office. Dr Karev to Chief Webber." There was a generally chorus of 'oo' from the nurses' station, but he grimly ignored them and got up.

"Wish me luck." He kissed her on the forehead and was gone.

---

"You're still in the programme? YES!" George screamed, launching himself at Alex, who ducked just in time for a flying George to collide with Meredith, who was rescued by Christina while Izzie pulled both of them back to their feet.

"Why though?" wondered Christina.

"_Christina_," Meredith muttered, nudging her.

"No – it's great. Great. But why didn't they kick you out on your ass?"

None of them knew, not even Alex. But Izzie did. Taking one look at her downcast expression, he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her aside.

"Whatever you did for me and however you did it – thanks, Izzie. I –"

"You would've done the same for me, right?"

"Yeah – but …"

"Then, cool." She left. Alex fidgeted.

"Yeah. Right. _Cool_."


	5. Chapter 5

**OK, so it's not long at all, but I hope it's as good as I promised. I tried to make it long, but everything just seemed to tie off so nicely that there didn't seem to be any point rambling on about nothing! Although if you have an idea, feel free to PM me or leave a review. Enjoy it ******

"Well, you are going to be extremely proud of me," boasted Alex, strolling into Ava's room, and stopping short when he saw her fully dressed with her coat on too, a baby in her arms and her bag dangling from her free hand.

"You're leaving?"

"Uh … yeah, Izzie's fine, and so there's really no –"

"What's Izzie got to do with – oh. Right, the baby. Yeah, well …"

Ava put out a hand to grab his wrist and spun him to face her.

"But .. the nurse at the station said that there was still some paperwork … kill some time. Talk to me, Alex. Why am I proud of you?"

"Well, I got the last of my stuff from Addison's," he swallowed painfully. She put an arm around his shoulders.

"You're moving on. Good."

"_And_ there is now my official date for the end of probation! Three months yesterday!"

"All right! Alex – that's great!"

"Yeah." He took hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb.

"Oh – and I made up with Izzie!"

"You did?"

& & &

_Three hours earlier_.

"Ouch! Sorry, Alex."

"Ah – it's OK. Have you seen the chart for 415?"

Izzie searched around on the desk between them, scrabbling through paperwork, and when she found it, she handed it to him, smiling.

"I'm glad you're still in the program, Alex. It wouldn't be the same without you. Bailey's ex-intern-club would be incomplete."

"Yeah – and I really, _really_ appreciate whatever you did. I still don't know how you did it – I think Bailey's the only person I know not terrified of the Chief. Except maybe Meredith …"

"Well, he _did _ sleep with her mum."

"This is true."

Both of them laughed, looking at the other straight in the eyes for the first time since that fateful lunch.

& & &

"Wow, Alex, you're really getting it together."

"Yeah."

He looked down into her eyes, and she smiled, and put the baby down on the bed. Closing her eyes, she leant in to catch his lips in a passionate kiss. Her hands snaked around his waist, and he ran his fingers through her hair. She opened her mouth, and he had slid his tongue half-way in before he regretfully stepped away.

"Look, I'm sorry…"

Ava looked at the floor, a tear ready to slide down her face.

"Oh no, no, no. Ava, no! It's just that I've just been reinstated to the program so I can't kiss you here as much as I want to…" He leant closer into her, putting his mouth to her ear, "…and you have _no idea_ how much I want it…" He straightened back up, "But … Joe's? Seven?" A huge smile crossed her face, which quickly turned to doubt.

"I don't know, Alex, I don't know where I'm staying or what to do with Izzie…"

"Look – I'm kind of crashing at Meredith's so I need somewhere to go too – hotel, together?"

"Of course!" A figure appeared in the doorway, but Alex and Ava were too preoccupied to notice.

"I've still got Izzie though…"

"What?" Izzie walked into the room. "Are you talking about me?"

"No … Ava's baby, she … well, she has your name."

"That's so sweet. Hello…" Izzie waved at the sleeping baby girl on Ava's bed.

"Anyway, the nurses sent me to say you are discharged, or rather, Izzie is. Congratulations. Also, I can watch her for the night if you guys have a hot date."

"Really? Izzie! That would be…"

"_So_ wonderful!"

& & &

Ava raised her glass.

"To…"

"Recovery," Alex supplied.

"And love," she added. They clinked glasses and drank, never taking their eyes off each other.

Ava toucher her fingers to her mouth, and sat the glass down on the bar.

"Thanks, Joe," called Alex. He nodded in return, knowing perfectly well that without the interns, especially Alex, he would lose his bar. They kept him in business.

"Now, in the hospital, where were we?" Ava asked, looking up at him.

"Oh … I think we were right … " he stepped in close, "… here …"

He slipped his hand onto her waist, pulling her to him, taking his lips, kissing them, exploring his mouth with her tongue. The kiss seemed to stand for all the lost time, and all the moments. When Alex had pulled the pylon off her, when he had named her Ava, when he had taken her outside and told her husband she was beautiful. When Ava had yelled at him, when she had come back with her baby, and most of all, right now that she was standing in front of him kissing him and neither was about to let go.

**Well, that's the end of that story. As I said, not very long, but that's just the way it turned out. Ideas welcome though.**

**R&R-ers would be fantastic! Like it? Hate it? Tell me, please! ******


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